Weekly Highlights
- Libya extends curfew for 15 days as Coronavirus cases continue to increase
- Egypt’s parliament approves troop deployment to Libya
- Libyan GNA fighters head for front as battle for Sirte looms
- Halting oil production costs Libya more than $7B
- U.S. senior diplomat complains Europe not doing enough in Libya
- Currency Exchange:
- Bank exchange rate: USD 1 – LYD 1.3945
- Black market exchange rate: USD 1 – LYD 5.88
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Libya extends curfew for 15 days as Coronavirus cases continue to increase
Libya’s government in Tripoli yesterday extended the current curfew for 15 days – until 2 August, as the Coronavirus cases continued to increase across the country. The 24-hour Friday and Saturday curfew has been lifted. Yesterday, Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 87 new cases, taking the total to 1,791 out of which there are 1,358 active cases with 385 recoveries and 48 deaths. The cases are spread across the country but with the largest numbers now concentrated in Libya’s south. The curfew extension means Libya’s land borders and airports will continue to be shut to the outside world. Travel between cities is still barred. LIBYA HERALD
Egypt’s parliament approves troop deployment to Libya
Egypt’s parliament authorised the deployment of troops outside the country on Monday after the president threatened military action against Turkish-backed forces in neighbouring Libya. The parliament unanimously approved “the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypt’s borders to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements”, it said in a statement. AL JAZEERA
Libyan GNA fighters head for front as battle for Sirte looms
Libya’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) on Saturday moved fighters closer to Sirte, a gateway to Libya’s main oil terminals that the GNA says it plans to recapture from the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA). Witnesses and GNA military commanders said a column of about 200 vehicles moved eastwards from Misrata along the Mediterranean coast towards the town of Tawergha, about a third of the way to Sirte. REUTERS
Halting oil production costs Libya more than $7B
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Thursday 16 July the cost of halting oil production there since early January has led to billions of dollars in losses. The NOC said oil production was halted Jan. 17 and losses have topped $7 billion. An armed group linked to warlord Khalifa Haftar shut down oil export harbours in the Oil Crescent region Jan. 18 a day ahead of the Berlin Conference in Germany that sought to bring a solution to the Libyan crisis. Leaders of pro-Haftar tribes also announced that they shut down oil production in the Sharara and Al-Fil oilfields. AA
U.S. senior diplomat complains Europe not doing enough in Libya
Europe can do more in Libya by designating Russian military contractor Wagner Group and calling out Moscow and other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt that are violating a U.N. arms embargo, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Thursday. Europeans are “proud” about their naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea, carried out to help enforce the U.N. arms embargo on Libya, but their maritime interdictions have been limited to Turkey, David Schenker, assistant secretary for Near East Affairs at the State Department, told a virtual think-tank event. REUTERS
Abducted politician’s fate remains unknown a year on, amid ongoing disappearances
The self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) must reveal the fate and whereabouts of Siham Sergiwa, a Libyan politician and women’s rights defender who was violently abducted from her home one year ago today, Amnesty International said. Siham Sergiwa’s case is a stark reminder of the ongoing abductions, enforced disappearances and unlawful deprivations of liberty perpetrated by all sides in this conflict, including government forces, de facto authorities, their affiliated militias and armed groups. AMNESTY
USEFUL INFORMATION
List of holidays in Libya 2020
Exchange rates – Libyan Dinar
According to our most recent information (19th July 2020) the Libyan Dinar has the following exchange rates.
The exchange rate from your own bank or credit card company will differ somewhat from the exchange rates as mentioned above. Your bank or credit card company might also apply additional international charges.
LIBYA SECURITY & RISK LEVELS
Fighting in Tripoli and around Mitiga International Airport (MIA) has significantly diminished. While specific concerns with respect to commercial air travel to and from MIA are lower, the overall security environment in Libya remains fluid, and violence across the country can occur with little warning.
U.S. citizens are reminded to review the U.S. Department of State’s latest travel advisory for Libya, which urges no travel to Libya due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.
Tunisia’s air, land, and maritime borders reopened on June 27, but the Libya-Tunisia border remains closed. U.S. citizens should continue to monitor the local news and contact airlines with specific travel questions. The Government of Tunisia provides updated border and quarantine restrictions through the Ministry of Health’s Observatoire National des Maladies Nouvelles et Emergentes (ONMNE) site https://www.facebook.com/ONMNE/. Please note that countries not specifically designated “green” or “orange” are considered “red”. U.S. citizens traveling from Libya to Tunisia should review the regulations prior to travel to Tunisia.
U.S. citizens in Libya should:
- Monitor the Embassy’s website for the most up-to-date information.
- Enroll in STEP at STEP.state.gov to receive the latest updates from the Embassy.
- Follow the advice of the CDC and local health authorities found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
- Check with your airlines regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Monitor the Department of State’s COVID-19 website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html.
LIBYA INCIDENT MAPPING: 14 – 21 JULY 20
LIBYA – SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS IN DETAIL
Libyan GNA fighters head for front as battle for Sirte looms
Libya’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) on Saturday moved fighters closer to Sirte, a gateway to Libya’s main oil terminals that the GNA says it plans to recapture from the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA). Witnesses and GNA military commanders said a column of about 200 vehicles moved eastwards from Misrata along the Mediterranean coast towards the town of Tawergha, about a third of the way to Sirte.
The GNA recently recaptured most of the territory held by the LNA in northwest Libya, ending eastern commander Khalifa Haftar’s 14-month campaign to take the capital, Tripoli, before the new front line solidified between Misrata and Sirte. Backed by Turkey, the GNA has said it will recapture Sirte and an LNA airbase at Jufra. But Egypt, which backs the LNA alongside the United Arab Emirates and Russia, has threatened to send troops into Libya if the GNA and Turkish forces try to seize Sirte. The United States has said Moscow has sent warplanes to Jufra via Syria to act in support of Russian mercenaries who are fighting alongside the LNA. Moscow and the LNA both deny this.
Turkey sent up to 3,800 fighters to Libya, Pentagon report says
Turkey sent between 3,500 and 3,800 Syrian mercenaries to Libya over the first three months of the year, the US Defence Department’s inspector general concluded in a new report. The quarterly report on counter-terrorism operations in Africa by the Pentagon’s internal watchdog, published on Thursday, is its first to detail Turkish involvement in Libya’s war. It says Turkey paid and offered citizenship to thousands of mercenaries fighting alongside Tripoli-based militias against troops of the Libyan National Army led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Despite widespread reports of the fighters’ extremist links, the report says the US military found no evidence to suggest the mercenaries were affiliated with ISIS or Al Qaeda. It says they were “very likely” motivated by generous financial packages rather than ideology or politics. The report covers only the first quarter of the year, until the end of March, two months before Turkish-backed victories by the Tripoli forces drove Field Marshal Haftar’s army from the capital’s suburbs, its stronghold at Tarhuna and a key western airbase.
The latest report says the Turkish troops were probably increased before the Tripoli forces’ triumphs in late May. It quotes the US Africa Command as saying 300 Turkish-supported Syrian rebels landed in Libya in early April. Turkey also sent an “unknown number” of Turkish soldiers during the first months of the year, the inspector general said. To the consternation of regional rivals and Nato allies such as France, Turkey is staking its hopes for greater influence in the eastern Mediterranean on the government in Tripoli. The warring sides are stationed around the edges of Sirte, a strategic gateway to Libya’s central and eastern oil crescent, where most of the country’s production of 1.2 million barrels a day is located.
REGIONAL REPORTED INCIDENT NUMBERS: 14 – 21 JULY 20
POLITICAL OVERVIEW
The Libyan Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha met Monday with the Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Maltese Interior Minister Byron Camilleri in Ankara to discuss cooperation, developments in Libya and stability in the Mediterranean. Bashagha said in a joint press conference with the Turkish and Maltese officials that the tripartite meeting aimed at boosting cooperation among the three countries in fighting illegal immigration, organized crime, fighting terrorism, and improving security capabilities. The Libyan Interior Minister indicated that Libya’s stability is an essential part of the cooperation between the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Turkey for a united Libya, adding that the GNA is looking forward to holding dialogue with all Libyans, but it still rejects the military coup project. LIBYA OBSERVER
US President Donald Trump has told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Washington backs the expansion of Turkey’s efforts in Libya, the New Khaleej reported 20 Jul. Citing the intelligence news website, Tactical Report, the New Khaleej said that during a call last Tuesday, both presidents agreed that the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya is the legitimate representative of Libyans. Trump told Erdogan that the US prefers the expansion of Turkish efforts in Libya in order to avoid American interference. Last week, Reuters reported the Turkish presidency saying that both leaders agreed to work more closely in Libya to ensure lasting stability in the country. Turkey supports the GNA, which is fighting against the eastern-based renegade commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces, which are backed by the UAE, Egypt and Russia. MIDDLE EAST MONITOR
France, Germany and Italy said on Saturday they are prepared to impose sanctions on foreign powers violating the arms embargo in Libya. “We call on all foreign actors to cease their interference and respect the arms embargo established by the United Nations Security Council”, German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president Emmanuel Macron and Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte said in a joint statement. They said they are “ready to consider the possible use of sanctions if the violations of the embargo on the sea, on land and in the air continue”, as they met in Brussels to discuss the coronavirus recovery package. EURONEWS
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, on Thursday 16 July, discussed cooperation and partnership between the UAE and Germany. In a phone call, Sheikh Mohamed and Chancellor Merkel reviewed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, with a special emphasis on the latest developments in the Libyan crisis. They also stressed the importance of working to avoid military escalation in Libya, which harms political settlement chances and increases the suffering of Libyans, as well as the need to push for proposed initiatives for a peaceful solution. KHALEEJ TIMES
AIRPORT & BORDER STATUS
18th July – Libya’s government in Tripoli extended the current curfew for 15 days – until 02nd August, as the Coronavirus cases continued to increase across the country. The 24-hour Friday and Saturday curfew has been lifted. Yesterday, Libya’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 87 new cases, taking the total to 1,791 out of which there are 1,358 active cases with 385 recoveries and 48 deaths. The cases are spread across the country but with the largest numbers now concentrated in Libya’s south. The curfew extension means Libya’s land borders and airports will continue to be shut to the outside world. Travel between cities is still barred.
| Location | Curfew | Details |
| East | From 8pm to 6am | Movement between cities is not allowed |
| West | From 8pm to 6am | |
| South | From 8pm to 6am |